Breaking Midnight: Curfews Lifted for Bars and Restaurants in New York

CC & the Boys will perform past the former midnight curfew at the Red Lion tomorrow night

Starting tonight, bars, restaurants and other establishments serving liquor indoors in New York State can remain open as late as local pre-pandemic laws permit. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this concession to the hospitality industry on April 28 and, since that time, the downward trajectory of coronavirus infection has justified this relaxation of restrictions. In New York City, last call will be shortly before 4 a.m. in many places.

Indoor establishments now have the same curfew as outdoor businesses. New York State rescinded the curfew for outdoor venues on May 17. With both indoor and outdoor venues free from this COVID-era limitation, establishments can return to the closing times that their liquor licenses or other regulations allow.

"During the month of May, we took major steps towards reopening our economy, and as of May 31, we are lifting the midnight curfew on indoor dining for bars and restaurants across New York," Cuomo stated in a press release today. "Like every other milestone of our reopening, the end of curfew for indoor dining is the result of New Yorkers banding together, practicing safety precautions, and getting vaccinated, so we can defeat the virus and work our way towards a new normal. Our reopening approach has always been data-based and, if we want to stay on our current trajectory, we need to remain vigilant across the board - especially when it comes to indoor activities. As always, we will continue to work with our local partners to make sure venues are following basic safety guidelines."

The Impact on Music Venues

The Red Lion already began booking live bands that will perform past the former midnight curfew. Tonight, Willie Lock will begin at 10 p.m. and perform until 1 a.m. Tomorrow night, CC & the Boys will perform from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. After tomorrow, the nights get longer at the Greenwich Village restaurant, bar, and music venue. On Wednesday night, Rebecca Mooreland will performs from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m., and then Days of Wild will perform from 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. Superhero, Level Up and Your Playlist also are scheduled to start at 1 a.m. later in the month.

Karl Schwarz, who performs under the name New Moon Acoustic Blues, will perform at the Ear Inn tonight at 10 p.m. Pre-pandemic, shows at the Ear Inn began at midnight.

Venues that before the pandemic were known for having live music past midnight, including the Bitter End, the Bowery Electric, and the Ear Inn, so far are keeping conservative schedules. The three music venues currently list late shows as starting at 10 or 10:30 p.m. These shows are expected to end about midnight. Live music at the recently-reopened Arlene's Grocery will end early, but weekend disc jockeys will play music until 4 a.m.

"My plan is to play until 12:30 a.m.," Steven Chelliah, who leads a hard rock trio that performs at Sour Mouse NYC on Friday nights, told The Manhattan Beat.

Steven Chelliah will play past midnight on Fridays at Sour Mouse NYC

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's June 2021 calendar.